Sarah Brown Eyes
by Coneflower Adams
Summary: No, this isn't a fic about Sarah Jacobs. It's a Skittery fic, and I just finished it so it's hot off the presses! Skittery encounters something that inspires his passion for music, but things arn't what they seem.....


Sarah Brown Eyes  
  
Disclaimer: This fic is a result of me listening to my Ragtime ((the musical)) soundtrack TOO much!   
  
~*~ Skittery's Point-a-View ~*~  
  
I strolled into Irving Hall on rainy day. I wasn't feeling at all myself. Well, actually, I was feeling like my old grumpy, scornful self. But the rain was making it even worst.   
  
I'd gotten a job at Irving Hall when the newsies at the lodging house I stayed at finally forced me into letting Medda see how talented I was at playing the piano. I was good too…more than good…I was great - that's what people had told me.  
  
I enjoyed playing too. I let my long fingers run over the keys like a gently stream of water would flow over rocks, making them smooth. Classical wasn't really my style, but the new found 'ragtime' sound had could my ear a few years ago when I was still a young boy.   
  
My mother and father had both been musicians. They taught me ever trick of the trade when it came to playing an instrument, but my favorite was always the piano. When my parents had died of illness, I - back then I was known as Nicholas Walker - was left on the cold and dangerous streets. It didn't take long for me to find the Newsboys Lodging House and I've been there ever since.   
  
To keep up this skill of playing the piano, I would go to a local music shop and give the owner a penny a week to play for an hour on the pianos around his shop. I never let any of the other newsies know about my talent till recently after the 1899 strike. I'd been known for my singing too, so, I'd usually would put two and two together - singing and playing. Writing the music was also my passion, just as much as playing. I had, had this tune in my head all day and it was driving me insane! I had to hurry to get it out.   
  
"Good evening, Skittery!" Medda greeted me at the back door. I wore his trademark frown.  
  
"Heya Medda, I'm here for work."  
  
Medda sighed, sadly. "And it's so sweet of you to come out in this weather and not miss a show, but I'm sorry. We canceled for the night."   
  
I glared at her like she'd just hit me over the head with a brick. "That's just great…" I groaned.   
  
"Oh hon, I'm am terribly sorry. You are welcome to practice or work on a new tune till the rain calms down." Medda tickled my nose with her purple feather then sauntered off to her dressing room.  
  
I dropped my newspaper bag warily on a stool backstage then headed to the stage where the piano was located. I sat down - frustrated and angry at basically the whole world at the moment - and started to play. I ran my fingers over the keys gently. That was one thing I couldn't take my anger out on……the perfectly white ivory keys. I'd never bang on them or play uncoordinated, just cool.   
  
But for some particular reason, I couldn't concentrate on playing. There was no music in my heart that night. I had had this new tune in my head all day, but it wasn't coming out! The fact that I was unable to play, made me even more angry. I stood up kicking the stage floor with my foot. At the same moment, I didn't notice that I wasn't alone.   
  
"Are you all right?" I heard the most darling voice.   
  
I switched my head to the back of the theater. There stood a staring blankly at a somewhat middle heighten girl. She was pretty too. Her brown hair pulled back in a braid. The dress she wore wasn't too classy, but wasn't too poor either with a white shaw wrapped around her arms. She was like an in-between to everything. Not too much, not too little…almost perfect - like an angel…  
  
I shook myself out of this trance, switching my eyes to the floor. "Yeah, I'm just fine. A little irritated though." I looked back up to her. "What's your name?"   
  
She smiled, blushing. "Sarah."  
  
"I'm Skittery, but that's my nickname. My real name is Nicholas."  
  
"I know" she murmured, not really making eye contact with me as I jumped off the stage to walk over to her.   
  
I realized what she had said, but didn't pay much mind to it. "If you're here for the show, it's canceled for tonight because of the rain storm."   
  
"That's okay. I'm not here for the show." She finally looked up. She had the most entrancing brown eyes. I was lost in them.   
  
"You aren't? Then what do you need?"   
  
"I work here." I scratched my head. I'd worked at Medda's for about two months, and had never seen this girl around.   
  
"Why haven't I ever seen you around?"  
  
She cocked her head to one side. "I had to quit a while back, but I'm here for my job again."  
  
"Oh, well, I'll go get Medda since she's the owner and all." I started to walk away when she coughed. That sound was very weird, so, I turned to see that she was leaving! "Wait!" I called after her.  
  
I caught her by the arm. "Where are you going?"  
  
Sarah's eyes flashed in nervousness. "I really just came to see how this place was doing. I really don't want to see Medda right now."  
  
"What did you use to do here?"  
  
"Sing. I was the lead singer right behind Medda. I'd always be her back up. She said my voice was like butter."  
  
I started to grow very suspicious. "You sound like you were good friends with her, why don't you want to see her?"   
  
She breathed an audible sigh. "I do, but not now. What do you do?"  
  
The quick subject change threw me off. I shook my head,answering, "I play the piano and sing. I like to write my own music, but tonight I just can't get the music out." I kicked the floor in frustration again.  
  
"That can be a problem. Come here." She took my hand, leading me up on stage to the piano. I didn't know what this Sarah had up her sleeve, but it didn't really matter to me. I had nothing better to do - I thought cynically.  
  
She gestured for me to sit. "Relax and place your hands on the keys." I stared at her with my face scrunched. Was that a command? Oh well, I did it anyway. "Now just play."  
  
I still keep my eyes on her, unconsciously not wanting to stop looking at her. I didn't tear my view from the girl standing beside the piano bench and started to play. What came out was the tune that had been stuck in my head all day. I started to smile, not realizing that I was. Sarah smiled right back. She started to giggle.  
  
"I need to get my notepad!"  
  
"Where is it?" she asked.  
  
"Right over there in my bag on that stool." I pointed to a stool right off stage. She hurried to get it for me. I began furiously to write down the notes of the tune. I played it over again to make sure every note sounded right.   
  
I smiled at her. "The music, it just wasn't there. The melody keep refusing to flow. But one look at you, now every note feels right."  
  
"You play like something I have never heard before. Where'd you learn how to play like that?" she asked, all of the blue.  
  
"My parents taught me. Music has been my life."  
  
She nodded. "They taught you well."  
  
I somehow found my cheeks feeling hot. I was actually blushing and not feeling stupid while I doing it. "It's nothing, but a ragtime tune."  
  
"No, it isn't. It's you pouring your soul out on those keys."  
  
I didn't know how to react to that statement. She was so right. My music was my soul. Ever time I played, I was happy. This certain night I was most happiest of all though.   
  
"Would you like to dance?" I asked her.   
  
"But there's no music to dance to" she replied back.  
  
"The music will come from our souls." Sarah smiled as if she was waiting for me to say the correct answer to a question and I had gotten it right.   
  
"Then what's stopping us?"   
  
I held out my hand to her. She took it. We waltzed for a time. Sarah laid her head on my shoulder, and it was strange, but it did feel like I was hearing music. Special music, not like any kind. I didn't want that moment to end. Every happy time always has an end. She pulled away when the bell tolled on the clock.   
  
"I have to leave now." She started to walk out the building. I ran after her, once again.  
  
"Sarah, will you be coming back?" I asked, hoping with all my might she would say yes.  
  
She looked me directly in the eye. "You'll see me around." Then, she was gone.   
  
My ever-so trademark frown appeared on my face again. The strangest and most glorious thing had just happen to me. I walked back to the piano and tinkered a moment till I noticed a white, wool shaw laying on top the piano. It was Sarah's. She must of forgotten it, but by the time I ran out the doors to see if she was still around, there was no sign of hers.   
  
The shaw gave me hope though. She'd have to come back for it sometime in the future, and she told me I'd see her around. I prayed I would. I trudged myself to Medda's apartment on the second floor of Irving Hall. I wanted to tell her one of her former singers had stopped by for a visit.   
  
"Why Skittery, you still here?" she asked, in her night gown.  
  
I played innocuously with the shaw in my hands. "Yeah, I've been busy talking to a former singer of yours that stopped by."   
  
"Oh really?" Her face lit up. "What was her name?"   
  
"Sarah" I replied. "She didn't give her last name though." With the mention of Sarah, Medda's face fell. She almost had tears appearing in her eyes. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Are you sure it was her name was Sarah?"   
  
I nodded. "Yeah. She came in, told me she was a former singer of yours and her name was Sarah. We talked then she helped me get the tune that was stuck in my head out on paper. But she had to leave."  
  
"Could you come in for a second, please?" I was a little worried at the shakiness of Medda's voice. She lead me over to one of her shelves near her dresser. "Is this what she looked like?"   
  
I stepped forward to get a better visual of the photograph. Sure enough, that was her. Sarah… "Yeah."  
  
Medda wiped a tear. "She was my first student. I taught her to sing from a little girl. I loved her so much, but she was murdered her in Irving Hall ten years ago."  
  
I nearly fell to my knees. I started to doubt my mind. It couldn't of been her! But then I stared at the photo again. I couldn't mistake those brown eyes and smile.   
  
"Sorry for making you upset. It couldn't of been her then. I think I'm going to go now."   
  
Medda excepted my answer, and waved goodnight to me. I heaved a loud sigh as I walked back to the stage to pick up my music sheets and go home. I didn't think I'd want to get back on the piano, but something was drawing me to it. I let down my bearings, sitting down.   
  
My tune - no - our tune came out of my fingers. Just as smooth as it did when I first played it earlier that night. I started to sing.   
  
"Sarah Brown Eyes, don't be shy now. Sarah Brown Eyes, ought to take a chance. The stars are silver notes across that sky now. Sarah Brown Eyes, come lets dance……" I trailed off slowly.   
  
I could of sworn I heard a female voice singing softly with me, like butter. I packed up my sheet music in my bag. The white shaw sat there on the piano bench. It was all I had of her - that and her spirit. I stepped out onto the street. The rain had stopped and the silver stars were shining brightly. I smiled to myself. I had never felt this happy in my life……thanks to Sarah Brown Eyes.  
  
  
  



End file.
